Printing machines with serial number punching



@ci 9, 1955 w. T. GoLLwlTzER 2,765,849

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER RUNCHING Filed March Io, 1953 a 13Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 9, w56 w. 'n GoLLvvlTzl-:R $755,349

PRINTING-MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING Filed March l0, 1953 l5Sheets-Sheet 2 125er' WW R21/en for Morne@ Get. 9, 1956 I w. T.GoLLwlTzER 2,765,849

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING Filed March lO, 1953 13Sheets-Sheet 3 @5y Z/MWUM ww @rave Get. 9, 3.956 w. T. GoLLwrrzERPRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING 15 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledMarch lO; 1953 ZCI 200A mmh fge@ Low Oct. 9, 1956 w. T. GoLLvvxTzERPRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING Filed March l0, 1953 l5Sheets-Sheet 5 Inf/enfer ZUG/telf TGo//wl'er Oct. 9, 1956 w. T.GoLLwlTzER 2,765,849

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING Filed March 1o, 195s 13sheets-sheet e I' ll-Ilm Get. 9, 1956 w. T. GoLLwlTzER 2,765,849

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING Filed March lO, 1953 13Sheets-Sheet '7 l x Y A po 5 O zxsa 0 O O OO 6 O` O. O 190/ O 5 o o 4 OOO O O O l O O O OO 2 O l o o zxs@ O zo@ bo o nvenfor Ua/fer 7. Go/wirOct. 9, 1956 w. T. GoLLwlTzER 2,765,849

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL.4 NUMBER PUNCHING 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 FiledMarch l0,4 1953 I ver2 for Ua/fer T. Go//w/'r Get. 9, 1956 w. T.GoLLvvlTzx-:i

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING 13 Sheets-Sheet 9 FiledMarch 10: 1953 Oct 9, 1956 2,765,849

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING w. T. GoLLwlTzER 15Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed March lO, 1953 .ytorneg Oc. g, w56 w. T.GoLLwlTzER 25,765,849 PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHINGFiled March l0, 195,3

1,5 Sheel'ls-Sheet ll GCI. 9, 1956 w. T. GoLLwlTzr-:R 2,765,849

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER RUNCRING Filed Maron 10 195s 13Sheets-Shea?I 12 281 269 49s 27? 26T A/ o 49e 2a@ i N 224 'z o ini/enferOei. 9, i956 w. T. GoLLwlTzER 2,765,849

PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHING 13 Sheets-Sheet 13 FiledMarch lO, 1953 mmv vm@ Iriver? for Wa/ter Gol/wfg el' Z/a/wa M wwwUnited States Patent PRINTING MACHINES WITH SERIAL NUMBER PUNCHINGWalter T. Gollwitzer, Euclid, Ollio, assigner toAddressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation ofDelaware Application March 10, 1953, Serial No. 341,450

'10 Claims. (Cl. 164-111) This invention relates to machines forproducing business instruments such as checks, insurance premiumnotices, bills and the like.

In business establishments where bills, checks, and the like areprepared in large numbers, it has been customary in many instances toprepare such business instruments through the use of individual printingand control devices such as the printing and control devices illustratedin my Patent No. 2,132,412, patented October l1, 1938. Such printing andcontrol devices embody a carrier or frame having one or more printingplates aixed thereon, and such printing plates are provided withembossed type which may be utilized for printing numerical amounts orwhich may be used for printing the name and address and otheridentifying data that may pertain to the person, company or the like towhich the printing device may be assigned. ln such printing and controldevices, as shown in my aforesaid patent, an upper area of the frame ofthe printing device is utilized for carrying physically representedinformation such as numerical data, and such numerical data arerepresented as shown in such patent by perforations located inaccordance with a predetermined positional code. Such printing andcontrol devices also are arranged in most instances to carry identifyingmeans such as tabs at one or more selected identifying positions alongthe upper edge thereof, and these tabs may be formed and arranged inaccordance with any of the systems known in the art which include fullor solid tabs, notched tabs, or perforated tabs.

The numerical data represented by the coded perforations in the printingand control devices may be sensed to govern or control mechanisms in themachine so that such mechanisms may cooperate with the printing andother operative mechanisms of such machine to produce a businessinstrument that includes not only one or more printed impressions fromthe embossed type of the particular printing and control device, butother physical representations such as printed information or datarepresenting perforations or the like, such printed information or datarepresenting perforations being made under control of the datarepresenting perforations of the printing devices. Furthermore, suchprinting and control devices may be selectively utilized in suchprinting machines through the use of a governing means such as aselector mechanism that is responsive to the identifying means such astabs that may be carried on the printing and control devices and whichgoverning mechanism is effective to control the operation of themachine, in most instances, to control the print-skip operation of themachine. ln other words, through the controlling action of theidentifying means such as tabs, the machine may be rendered effective toproduce business instruments only with respect to a portion of theprinting and control devices that may be passed through the machine.

When business instruments of the aforesaid character are produced inlarge quantities, as for example in banks, governmental agencies, orutility billing departments and the like, it is of course desirable thatthe business instru- 2,765,849 Patented Oct. 9, 1956 ments be capableor" ready identification, sorting, and the like by the usual sorting andother equipment that is utilized where business intruments carry datarepresented by perforations or other physical means, and it is a primaryobject of the present invention to facilitate the production of businessinstruments having such identifying characteristics. More specifically,it is an object of the present invention to simplify the representationof serial numbers or consecutive numbers by means of coded perforationsin business instruments of the aforesaid character, and the relatedobject is to enable this to be accomplished in such a way that apunching mechanism that is adapted to be set up from and under controlof printing devices that have coded information thereon may, 4at thesame time, be readily controlled without materially changing ormodifying the mechanism of the punch so as to enable the consecutivenumbering operation of the punch to be accomplished.

Another and important object of the present invention is to enable acontrol mechanism for serial numbering of a group of businessinstruments to be readily and easily associated with a punch which is ofsuch a character that it may be operated either with or without suchserial or consecutive numbering control mechanism.

When business instruments are produced on automatic machines, such forexample as the automatic machine that is shown in my copending patentapplication Serial No. 201,102, led December 16, 1950 now U. S. PatentNo. 2,710,406, it is often desirable to eifect consecutive numbering orserial numbering of the business instruments that are classied in aparticular group, and to start the numbering again with the number lwhenever a new group of such instruments is to be produced. Anotherimportant object-of the present invention is, therefore, to enable suchan operation to be readily and easily performed, and more specificallyit is an object to afford a consecutive numbering control mechanism fora punch apparatus that may be automatically controlled, as, for example,by group indicating tabs that may be provided selectively on the lastprinting and control device in any particular group, thus to enable themachine to operate in such a way that the serial numbering controlmechanism is automatically reset upon the completion of a group ofbusiness instruments.

Another object is to afford such a serial numbering control mechanismadapted to be readily and easily associated with the timing and controlapparatus of a printing machine of the kind shown in my aforesaidcopending application, and a related object is to afford such amechanism wherein the count-advancing means are adapted to beautomatically disabled in those instances which arise in such machineswhere the operation of the machine is to be stopped under automaticcontrol, thus to avoid production of a false count,

Other and further objects will become apparent from the followingdescription and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments of the presentinvention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be thebest mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Otherembodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principlesmay be used and structural changes may be made as desired by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the present invention and thepurview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a rear perspective view of the punch unit of machine forproducing business instruments, said machine and particularly the punchunit thereof embodying the features of the present invention; l

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a fragmentary character taken from theleft in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2A is a face view of a bill in the form of a tabulating card havinga serial number and other data represented thereon by codedperforations;

Fig. 2B is a face view of a printing and control device used inconnection with the mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a transfer frame embodying theserial numbering control of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan vieW of a transfer frame equipped with the serialnumbering control of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view as taken from the line 5-5of Fig. 4;

Fig. 5A is a plan view of the numbering machine advancing means and therelated safety solenoid;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the serial numbering controlshaft and related mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line of 7-7 to Fig. 8;

Fig. 8 is a view showing a portion of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a rear elevational view of the counting mechamsm;

Fig. 10 is an end elevational view taken along the line 10-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional View taken along the line 11-11 of Fig.9;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the actuating means for thecounting wheels;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of one of the control members of thecounting mechanism;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the various ratchets in associationwith the control mechanism;

Fig. 15 .is a schematic view illustrating the relationship between thefaces of the control wheels and the code that is utilized in the punchmechanism and in the printing and control devices;

Fig. 16 is a View illustrating the relationship between the controlmembers and the Bowden cables;

Fig. 17 is a simplified wiring diagram showing the pertinent electricalconnections in respect to Fig. l to 16;

Fig. 18 is a schematic view illustratnig an alternative embodiment ofthe invention wherein provision is made for automatically resetting thecontrol mechanism;

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary illustration of the reset mechamsm;

Fig. 20 is a view of the reset shaft that is embodied in the counter;

Figs. 21 and 22 are cross sectional views of the shaft takensubstantially and respectively along the lines 21-21 and 22--22 of Fig.20;

Fig. 23 is a schematic view showing the relationship between the shaftof Fig. 2O and the ratchet wheels of the control counter, Fig. 23 beingtaken along the line of 23-23 of Fig. 19;

Fig. 24 is a side elevational view of one of the counter wheels andfurther illustrating the relationship between the shaft and the dejectmechanism;

Fig. 25 is an end view illustrating portions of the drive;

Fig. 26 is a view taken from the line 26-26 of Fig. 18 and showingadditional features of the drive;

Fig. 27 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a portion of thenumbering machine advancing mechanism and the control means therefor;and

Fig. 2S is a schematic wiring diagram showing the control circuits forthe automatic tab-controlled reset mechanism.

For purposes of disclosure the invention is herein illustrated in Figs.1 to 16 as embodied ina punch unit PU that is of the general characterthat is shown in my copending application Serial 201,102 filed December16, 1950, this punching unit PU is included in a machine 100 forproducing business instruments, and such machine being of the samegeneral construction and embodying the same general mode of operation asthe machine illustrated in my aforesaid copending application.

As disclosed in my aforesaid copending application the machine isadapted to produce business instruments from and under control ofindividual printing and control devices D, Fig. 2B, that embody printingmeans and data-representing control means, and each business instrumentmay have a printed identifying impression formed thereon from certain ofthe printing means of a printing and control device D, and may als-ohave datarepresenting perforations formed therein by the punch unit PUunder control of the control means of the same printing and controldevice. The punching unit PU may, of course, be operated to produceother data-representing perforations, that is, other than under thecontrol of the printing and control devices.

Thus certain xed data may be set up manually in the punching unit PU soas to produce the same data, such as the date, as perforations in eachinstrument, as described in my aforesaid copending application; and incontrast to this, the present invention is concerned with automaticcontrol of the punching unit PU to produce data perforationsrepresenting changing data that varies from instrument to instrument.More specifically, the present invention is directed to the provision ofa supplemental control for the punching unit PU whereby a series ofbusiness instruments produced by the machine 100 may be consecutivelynumbered by the formation of data-representing perforations therein,thereby to facilitate sorting, handling and like accounting operationstha-t may needto be performed in respect to such business instruments.

The business instruments that are produced on the present machine aremade from and under control of a series of printing and control -devicesD such as that shown in Fig. 2B of the drawings. This printing device Dis of the general character shown in Fig. 2 of the rst of my `aforesaidcopending applications, and each printing device D comprises a frame Fhaving a printing plate 1151 removably mounted on the face of the frameF near the lower edge thereof, and a combined index and control card1160 is mounted in the upper area of the frame. This nidex 4and controicard 1160 is adapted to have' numerical data represented therein bymeans of perforations arranged according to a five-position code that isindicated in Fig. 15 of the present drawings. The printing plate 1151has embossed type characters thereon affording a name and address at T,land numerical data 1061', 107T and 108T. If desired, a portion of thetext 105'1 may be imprinted at 195B on the index and control card 1160.

The index and control card 1160 as herein shown also has the numericalinformation corresponding to the type characters 107T and ltlSTindicated therein by coded perforations at 107K and 108K, `so that thisdata may be sensed in the machine to set up the punch unit PU in themanner described in my aforesaid copending application. The printingdevice D is also adapted to bear one or more identifying devices such astabs 1165 at selected positions along its upper edge, and these tabs maybe utilized in controlling the print-skip operation of the machine, `asWell as for other functions as will be described hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 2A of the drawings, the machine 100 may produce acard-type bill C that may be desired, for example, in public utilitywork, and where this bill C 1s to be produced as a single businessinstrument, the machine may be set for what is termed consecutiveoperation, as described in my aforesaid copending application. It shouldbe noted at this point, however, that the machine 100 may operate toproduce such a bill as well as a related accounting card, and in suchoperation the machine is set for duplicate operation as described notonly in my aforesaid copending application, but also in my copendingapplication Serial No. 259,823, led December 4, 1951 and now abandoned.The card-type areas@ bill C that is shown in Fig. 2A of the drawings isof the usual Hollerith size and form, and in the present instance thecard C has a printed identification in the form of a name and addressprinted thereon, such printed name and address being formed from theprinting means 1051 of a printing and control device D as described inthe iirst of my aforesaid copending applications. It will also be notedthat this bill has identification numbers 106, 137, and 108 printedthereon and these impressions are made respectively from the printingmeans 106T, 1071" and 1(38T of the printing and control device D. Thebill C that is herein shown also has the number 107 represented thereinby data-representing perforations 1117i), in accordance with the usualten position code employed with such cards, while the number 108 isreproduced similarly in date-representing perforations IOSP. The bill Calso has a serial number or identifying number 1091 formed therein bydate-representing perforations that are made by the punching unit PU,and in a series of bills C produced by the machine, the serial number109P is advanced one for each bill C that is produced so that the seriesof bills are, in effect, consecutively numbered. It is with the controlmechanism for setting up and governing the punching unit PU in producingthese consecutive number perforations 109P that the present invention isconcerned.

The cards C are fed in succession along a sheet guideway SG that isshown, in Fig. 2 of the drawings, as it is afforded in the punch unit bya slot, and in other portions of the machine the guideway SG is formedin different ways as described in the first of my aforesaid copendingapplications. These cards C come to rest successively at a punchingstation that is defined by the punching unit PU, and after the punchingoperation, each card C is advanced to a printing station that is definedin part by and beneath a printing head structure 110 that is shown inFig. l of the present drawings at which printing station the printedimpression is made that affords the printed data 105, 106, 1117 and 108.The cards C are advanced along such sheet guideway SG by means includingdriven feed rolls, only one of which is shown at 111 of Fig. 1 in thepresent drawings; and when a card C has moved into the throat of thepunch unit PU, it is brought to rest by a stop nger structure that isdescribed in detail in the first of my aforesaid applications and whichis indicated generally herein by the reference character 113 Fig. l thatis applied to the stop finger rocker. The stop finger rocker 113, aswell as many of the other elements of the present mechanism, is operatedby cam means that are mounted upon a longitudinally extending cam shaftCS-2 that corresponds to the similarly identified cam shaft that isincluded in the first of my aforesaid copending applications, and thesheet feed means, such as the feed roller 111, and the stop fingermechanism including the stop linger rocker 113, are operated in propertimed relation by the cam shaft CS-Z so as to cause step-by-stepadvancing movement of the sheets or cards C along the sheet guideway SG.

The punching unit PU includes a pair of side plates 121) and 121 thatare in vertical positions and in spaced relation, and extend in a frontto rear direction with respect to the machine 1%@ so as to betransversely positioned with respect to the sheet guideway SG. Thepunching unit PU has a stationary horizontal mounting plate 123 extendedbetween the side plates 126 and 121 and disposed beneath the sheetguideway SG, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and on this mountingplate a sectional punch block 125 is mounted, such punch block beingmade up of a lower die block 125D and an upper punch guiding block 1258that are secured together and which have a horizontal slot formedtherebetween, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to afford a portion of the sheetguideway SG into which a card or sheet C may move for the performance ofa punching operation thereon. The upper punch block 125G has a pluralityof columns of punches 127 mounted therein, each column comprising aseries of twelve punches 127, and the punches 127 actually being mountedand guided in the upper guide block 125G and being movable downwardly ina manner to be described hereinafter for cooperation with aligned dieopenings in the die block 125D for effecting the desired punchingoperation. 1t will be understood that there is a relatively large numberof columns of punches, and each column contains twelve such punches, andthe punches 127 are arranged to be retracted in an upward direction by astripper structure 127', as described in some detail in the first of myaforesaid copending applications. The punches 127 in each of the severalcolumns are adapted to be selectively actuated, and this is accomplishedthrough the provision of settable interposer means for each of theseveral columns, and such interposer ineans are arranged so that theymay be manually set as described iri the first of my aforesaid copendingapplications, or are arranged for automatic setting, as for example,under control of control means afforded on the individual control andprinting devices. Thus, as will be described in further detailhereinafter, any particular punch 127 in any of the columns may be setfor operation, and in such setting, an interposer such as intei-poser13@ is moved so that the head 13tiH thereof is aligned with the desiredpunch 127, and the heads of all of the interposers 130 are arranged tobe disposed below an upper ram plate 132 that is adapted to be drawndownwardly through a punching stroke by means of four verticallyreciprocable rods 133 that extend slidably downwardly through themounting plate 123, and it may be observed that the ram plate 132 may bea solid or onepiece member, as described in the first of my aforesaidcopending applications, or it may be sectional in character so as toprovide for selective suppression of punching in a particular field ofthe punch, as described in the second of my aforesaid copendingapplications. Thus, in the form illustrated in the present drawings, thepunch unit PU is of the kind adapted for suppression of a selectedfield, and another stationary plate 134 is mounted above the upperposition of the ram plate 132, and a supplemental ram platt,` is mountedbeneath the stationary plate 134 so that it may be iatched to the ramplate 132 for downward movement therewith or may be released therefromby means including a pawl 135 and cam follower 136 so as to suppresspunching when this is desired. This structure however does not form partof the present invention and is described only to explain the presenceof certain elements in the present drawings.

The automatically settable interposers 130 of the punching unit PU arearranged to be operated or set through transmitting levers 14? from andunder control of settable slides 14E-1 that form part of the punchingunit PU as described in the first of my aforesaid copendingapplications. These slides 141 are normally returned to forward orlefthand positions as viewed in Fig. 2, by mechanism included in thepunch unit PU, as described in the first of my aforesaid copendingapplications, and when a setting operation is to be performed, theseslides 141 are released for rearward righthand movement as viewed inFig. 2, these slides being normally held in their restored or left-handpositions by means of pawls 1152 that rest at their rear ends against azero stop plate 143. This Zero stop plate 143 is arranged so that thepawls 142 may be shifted upwardly, thereby to enable the same to pass ina rearward or righthand direction, Fig. 2, and thus to permit the slides141 to move under a spring action as described in the first of myaforesaid copending applications to the right, or rearwardly, to anextent determined by the setting of a series of tive stop pins 145 thatare shown in detail in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The stop pins 145 are provided in duplicate for each of the severalslides 141, and are adapted for cooperation with rear end surfaces 141Bof the slides 141, Fig. 3, and

-7 as described in the rst of my aforesaid copending applications, thereare live such stop pins, identified as stop pins 145A to 145B for eachorder or column of the punching unit PU. The ve stop pins 145 for eachorder are mounted in a slide bar 146 that is adapted for movementthrough a limited range in a rearward direction and into contact with astop surface 147 on a stop bar 147S. The particular manner of operationof the aforesaid stop pins 145 is described in detail in my prior PatentNo. 2,710,406 patented June 7, 1955. The ve stop pins 145 in each orderor column of the punching apparatus are arranged for selective operationor upward movement to set positions in accordance with a live elementpositional code in which either one or two of such stop pins are adaptedto be actuated so as to thereby represent selectively the digits from lto 9, the code being indicated in the righ-hand column Y of Fig. 15 ofthe present drawings. Thus when the number 1 or any other odd digit isto be indicated and set in the punching apparatus PU, the stop pin 145A,Fig. 3, is actuated in an upward direction so that this pin 145A isadapted to engage with the lower side surface of a stop bar 148, and ifthe particular digit that is to be represented is the digit 9, this stoppin 145A is the only pin that is actuated, and this is indicatedopposite the digit 9 in column Y of Fig. 15 of the drawings. If digit lis to be represented in the setting of punching unit PU, the stop pin145A is set and this prevents movement of the slide 146 to the right inFig. 3, and in addition, the stop pin 145B is set in an upward positionand in this instance the edge 141E of the slide 141 will engage the lefthand surface of the pin 145B, and the slide 141 will move through asetting movement of but one unit. This is in contrast to the movementwhen only the pin 145A is set, for in such an instance the slide 141will move through a distance of nine units before the end surface 141Bengages the pin 145A. Similarly, if the digit 3 is to be represented,the pins 145A and the pin 145D will be actuated, and in such an instancethe slide 141 will move through a setting movement of 3 units. The samegeneral operation is followed in connection with the setting of theother two odd digits 5 and 7, as explained in my aforesaid prior patent.

With respect to the even digits, the code arrangement as indicated incolumn Y of Fig. is such that the pin 145A is not operated or set, andthus in such an instance the slide 141 will move to the right until itengages the abutment surface 147. Thus, the setting of pin 145E will,under such circumstances, allow the slide 141 to move through two units;the setting of the pin 145D will allow the slide 141 to move throughfour units; the setting of the pin 145C will allow the slide 141 to movethrough six units; while the setting of the pin 145B will allow theslide 141 to move through a setting movement of 8 units. These settingmovements are, of course, reflected in the related interposers 136 so asto produce a corresponding selection or setting of the punch in therelated columns thereof.

In the setting of the slide 141 and the related interposers 130, thenormal operation is to effect such setting movement from and undercontrol of data representing perforations in the printing and controldevices D that are passed through the machine 100, and these datarepresenting pereforations are formed in such printing and controldevices, as described in the rst of my two aforesaid pendingapplications, in accordance with the code such as that illustrated incolumn Y of Fig. 15 of the drawings. ln the operation of the machine160, the coded perforations in the printing and control devices D aresensed in the machine 100 and the presence of such perforations istransmitted to the appropriate column of the punching apparatus by meansincluding Bowden wires 149 and a transfer frame 150 that is described indetail in my aforesaid copending application. The Bowden wires 149 arearranged to act upon transmitting -8 plunger 151, Fig. 3, and theseplungers are provided,- ve for each column of the punching unit PU thatis to be controlled or set automatically, and each plunger 151 isarranged to act upon a transmitting wire 152, these transmitting wires152 extending upwardly through the transfer frame and being arranged toact upon corresponding upper plungers 153 that are disposed beneath therespective pins 145. Provision is made, as described in the rst of myaforesaid copending applications, by means of a locking plate 154 andsuitable operating mechanism, to lock the transmitting plungers 153 intheir set positions after actuation by the transmitting wires 152, andthe coded data-representing perforations of the printing and controldevices D are thus eiective to impart upward setting movement to relatedstop pins 145, thus to control the setting movement of the setup slides141 of the punching unit PU.

All of the various orders of the punching unit PU are of course arrangedand adapted, in most instances, for controlled setting movement by thestop pins 145, and the present invention is concerned with the provisionof a supplemental control mechanism whereby these pins 145 may beautomatically set by mechanism which will eiect a consecutive serialnumbering of the documents that are produced by the machine.

Under the present invention the serial numbering control is alotded by asupplemental control mechanism that is associated with and mounted onthe transfer frame 150. By thus associating the serial numbering controlmechanism 160 with the transfer frame 15), it is possible to quickly andeasily associate the serial numbering control mechanism with the machinewhen this is desired, and it is also possible to render the serialnumbering control mechanism 160 effective to control any selectedcolumns of the punch. Thus, as shown particularly in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, amounting bracket 161 is mounted in a horizontal and rearwardlyprojecting position on the rear upper portion of the transfer frame 150,and this is accomplished by use of a downwardly extended flange 1611;`of the bracket, this flange 161F being secured by bolts 162 to the upperportion of the rear face of the body of the transfer frame 15). On thebracket 161 there is mounted a rocking frame 163 that is alforded by apair of side plates 163K and 163L as noted in Figs. 4 and 5 of thedrawings, and this rocking frame 163 is connected together in a rigidrelationship by a plurality of spacer sleeves and bolts 164 and 165. Therocking frame 163 is pivoted at substantially the rear end edge of thebracket 161, or near left hand edge in Fig. 3 by means including a pivotpin 166. This pivot pin 166 passes through the two plates 163L and 163Kand rests in grooves 166G shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the grooves166G being formed in the upper surface of the bracket 166 so that thepivotal axis of the rocking frame 163 lies substantially in the plane ofthe upper surface of the bracket 161. Beneath the pivot 166, the plates163R and 163L have downwardly projecting arms 163A. These arms 163A areconnected by springs 168 to anchoring pins 169 so that the rocking frame163 is normally urged in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 3, thus tonormally urge the frame to an elevated or retracted position. The upwardor retracting movement of the rocked structure 163 is limited by anadjustable abutment screw 171) that is carried on the spacer sleeve 164as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the forward end of theabutment screw 170 being adapted to bear against the rear face of thetransfer frame 150 as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The rocking frame 163 serves as a carrier for a serial numbering counterN which is adapted to be advanced one unit for each business instrumentthat is to be produced by the machine, and the counter N is adapted tobe moved up and down with the rocking member 163 so that in such up anddown movements, the serial numbering counter may serve, as willhereinafter be described, to

9 actuate the set-up pins 145 in the appropriate orders of the punchingunit PU.

The counter N is in a broad sense similar to a common type ofconsecutive numbering device, particularly insofar as the actuating oradvancing means thereof may be concerned, and insofar as the carry-overor tens-carry mechanism of the unit may be concerned, and it should bepointed out that this particular form of counting mechanism is notmaterial to the present invention, any type of counting mechanism beingcapable of use. As will be evident in Figs. to 11 of the drawings,consecutive numbering counter N comprises a main frame 175 that has endwalls 176 and top bars 177, and this frame is mounted between the sideframes 163L and 163R of rocking frame 163, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9 ofthe drawings. This mounting is, in the present instance, accomplishedthrough the use of the main wheel-supporting shaft 179 of the counter N,this shaft being extended through the side plates 163K and 163L as wellas through the two end walls 176 of the counter frame. The shaft 179also serves as a carrying means for an advancing rocker 180 that is inthe form of a bail and which has arms 180A that are pivoted on the axisof the shaft 179. This advancing rocker 180 is arranged to be operatedthrough rocking movements by an operating arm 182 which is disposed onthe outside of the left hand frame or end Wall 176 as will be evident inFigs. 6 and 9 of the drawings, and which is connected to the adjacentarm 180A of the rocker by means of pins at 183 that extend througharcuate slots 184 formed in the left hand end wall 176 of the numberingmachine frame 175.

The advancing rocker 180 is utilized as an actuating means for theseveral elements of the counting or serial numbering mechanism, and asherein shown, this mechanism is of a multiple-order type in which aplurality of counting or numbering wheels 190 of special form areprovided, and each of these numbering wheels 190 has a ratchet wheel190K affixed thereto. The several number wheels 19d and the associatedratchet wheels 190R are of the same form and construction, and only oneof these elements will therefore be described. Thus, as shown in Figs.13 and 16, each number wheel 190 is in the form of a relatively widemember that has a central opening 191 therein through which the shaft179 extends to rotatably support the numbering wheel. Since the presentapparatus is intended and adapted for operation in accordance with thedecimal system of counting, the numbering wheels 190 are in the form ofregular decagons in that they have ten equal sides, and thus byadvancing the numbering wheel through an angle of 36 about its centralaxis, the faces of the wheel may be brought successively into anoperative position, which in the present instance is a downwardly facingposition. The numbering wheels 199 have their ratchet wheels 190K fixedon the right hand side thereof and in a concentric relationshiptherewith as will be evident in Figs. 6 and 13, and such ratchet wheels190K have ten teeth 190T formed thereon at equally spaced intervals.

Between most of these teeth, a relatively shallow notch is provided, asindicated at 1905 in Fig. 13 of the drawings, but at one point that isbetween two adjacent teeth in a particular location as will hereinafterbe described, a relatively deep notch 190D is provided. These teeth 190Tand the notches 190s and 190D are adapted for cooperation with a pawlstructure 195 that is mounted on a shaft 196 carried on the actuatingrocker 180 as will be evident in Fig. 12 of the drawings. This pawlstructure 195 is urged in a ratchet-engaging direction by means of atorsion spring 197, shown in Fig. 12, and in such engaging movement,this pawl structure 195 is adapted to have a plurality of teeth that arecarried thereon engaged with one or more of the ratchet wheels 190K in amore or less conventional manner so as to not only advance the counterunit by unit, but also to effect a tens-carry operation in a manner thatis well known in the art. Thus the pawl 195,

10 as shown in Fig. 12, has fve teeth formed thereon of different sizesand lengths and these are allocated to the several orders of thecounter. These five teeth are identied in Fig. 12 as teeth 195U whichpertains to the units order of the counter 195T that is allocated to thetens order of the counter, 195H that is allocated to the hundreds orderof the counter, 195TH that is allocated to the thousands order of thecounter, and 195TTH thatfis allocated to the ten thousands order of thecounter. The tooth 195U is relatively long as will be evident in Figs.1l, 12 and 14, and the teeth in the higher orders become progressivelyshorter as will be evident in Fig. 12. g

The arrangement is such that in rocking movements of the advancingrocker from the full line position shown in Fig. 10 to the dotted lineposition shown in'Fig. 10, the units order pawl 195U is effective t0engage the teeth T of the units order, but all of the other teeth of thepawl structure are held high enough to prevent engagement thereof withthe ratchet wheels to which they are allocated. This relationship beingshown in a schematic way in Figs. 1l and 14 of the drawings. When,however, the units order numbering wheel is at its 9 position, that iswhen the face allocated to the number 9 is in its lowermost position,the deep notch 190D is disposed in such a position as to be engaged bythe tooth 195U, and the form of this tooth is such that this allows anincreased rocking movement of the pawl 195 in an engaging direction.When this occurs the tooth 195T engages one of the shallow notches 19%8of the related ratchet 190R and of course the tooth 195U engages theratchet wheels of the units order numbering wheel. Hence in the nextadvancing or rocking movement of the advancing rocker 180, the unitsorder numbering wheel 190 will be advanced to its zero position, whilethe tens order numbering wheel 190 wiil be advanced from its zeroposition to its one position.

In the next operation of the advancing rocker 180, the large tooth 195Uagain limits the movement of the pawl 195 in an engaging direction, andactuating movement is imparted only to the units order of the counter.This same relationship prevails throughout successive movements untilthe tens order numbering wheel 190 has been advanced to its H9 position,and the tooth 1951" then drops to the deep notch 190D of the tens orderratchet Wheel 190B., and in the next operatio-n of the advancing rocker180, the numbering wheel 190 of the hundreds `order is advanced by thetooth 1951i from the zero position to the l position. Since this generalmode of operation is well known in the art, no further descriptionthereof is deemed advisable. The several numbering wheels 190 are heldin their indexed positions to which they are moved by the rocker 18d bymeans of a plurality of retaining pawls 197 that are arranged to engagebetween the teeth 195T on the side of the wheels opposite from the sidethat is engaged by the pawl 195. These retaining pawls 197 are mountedon a shaft 198 and are yieldingly urged toward their effective orretaining positions by means of springs 199.

The ten faces of each numbering wheel 19t) are allocated, as hereinabovedescribed, to the several significant digits and Zero, and these facesare utilized as actuating abutment surfaces, which are effective, indownward rocking movements of the rocker 163, to impart setting movementto the pins 145, as will be described, clearance recesses are affordedin such abutment surface so that selective or coded abutment surfacesmay be provided in five different index positions on each face, as willbe evi- .dent in Fig. 15 of the drawings. These coded arrangements onthe faces of the wheels 190,as afforded by the clearance -recesses andabut-ment surfaces, are utilized in Ia downward actuating movement ofthe rocker 163 to selectively actuate sets of five Bowden cables 209that are extended between the bracket 161 and the upper portion of thetransfer frame 150 to selectively actuate the transfer pins 153 and theset up pins 145 in a manner that is identical with the actuation thereoffrom the Bowden cables 149. Thus the mounting bracket 161 has a mountingblock 200 fixed to the lower face thereof and this block 200 has asecond block 201 mounted therebeneath in a downwardly spaced relation bymeans of spacers 200A and bolts 200B. The mounting block 201 has a lowerplate 202 fixed to its lower face and the sheaths of a plurality ofBowden cables 209 are anchored in the plate 202. The wires of the Bowdencables 209 extend upwardly through the block 201 and through relativelysmall guide openings in an upper plate 203, and these wires are arrangedso that their upper ends may be engaged with the downwardly facing headsof a plurality of pins 210 in the nature of transmitting pins whichextend upwardly through guide openings in the guide or mounting block200. The other ends of the Bowden cables 209 are yextended downwardly,and then upwardly and forwardly into the transfer frame 150 and areassociated with the upper portion of the transfer frame 150 beneath thetransfer pins 153 in the same manner as the transfer wires 152.

The pins 210 are arranged in groups of five in the pattern illustratedin the lower portion of column X of Fig. 15, a set of live such pins 210being afforded directly beneath each of the numberingwheels 190, and thearrangement is such that when the normal restoring movements are appliedto the settable pins 145 of the punching unit PU, such restoringmovements will be transmitted through the pins 153 to the Bowden cables209 so as to move the pins 210 to the upper positions that are shown inrespect to two of the pins illustrated in Fig. 16 of the drawings. Thus,when all of the Bowden wires 209 are restored and all the pins 210 arein their elevated or restored positions, a downward movement of therocking structure 163 serves to move all of the numbering wheels 190downwardly to the lowered position shown in Fig. 16, and in suchmovement, those pins 210 that are opposite the unbroken or abutmentsurface of the downwardly facing surface of the numbering wheel arepushed downwardly as illustrated in respect to the center one of thethree pins shown in Fig. 16, and in contrast to this, those pins 210that are opposite recesses 215B are allowed to remain in theirunactuated or restored relationship. This action is utilized ineffecting the desired setting of the pins 145 by so forming the recesses215B that the remaining portion or unbroken surfaces of each side of thenumbering wheel 190 constitute a coded representation of the number ordigit to which the numbering wheel is allocated. Thus, as will beevident in Fig. and particularly in column X thereof, each surface ofthe numbering wheel 190 has ve A index points that are designated pointsA, B, C, D, and E, and by means of arrows in Fig. l5 these indexpositions are related to the corresponding positions of the code ofcolumn Y of Fig. l5. These arrows and the lettered designations alsoserve to coordinate this schematic illustration with the several set uppins 145 which are identified by the reference character 145 with alettered suliix in each instance that corresponds with the several indexpositions that are illustrated in column X of Fig. 15. K

To carry the description further, it will be noted that inY arepresentation of zero, the related surface of the ntunbering wheel 190`has recesses 215B formed in all five of the index positions A to E.Because of this, the downward movement of this face of the numberingwheel 190 will not cause actuation of any of the related Bowden cables209. In a representation of the digit l on the related face of thenumbering wheel 190, it will be noted that recesses 215B are formed inpositions B, C and D so Vthat the Bowden cables 209 that are associatedwith these index positions will not be actuated, while those Bowdencables that are associated with positions A and E will be actuated. Itwill be noted that this conforms with the code shown in column Y of Fig.l5. Similarly, in reference to the digit 2, the related face of thenumbering wheel 190 has recesses 215 formed in index positions A, B, C

and D, and hence when set to the digit 2, an operation of the numberingwheel 190 through a downward or actuat ing stroke will not causeoperation of those Bowden cables that are related to these positions.However, as to the Bowden cable that is opposite index point E, theabutment surface at point E of the face of the numbering wheel engagesthe related pin 210 and the Bowden cable 209 that is related to thisindex position will be actuated, thereby to conform with therepresentation of the digit 2 as shown in column Y. correspondingly,coded patterns in the other faces of the number wheels 190 serve tocause coded actuation of the Bowden cables 209 in accordance with thecode of Fig. 15.

When the counter N has been set to any particular number, the supportingrocker 163 may be moved or actuated downwardly through a settingmovement in which the pins 145 of selected orders of the punching unitPU are set to correspond with the setting of the counter N, and this isdone by means operating in timed relationship with respect to theoperation of the punch unit. As herein shown, such actuation is obtainedfrom a cam shaft 267 which corresponds to the similarly numbered camshaft in the first of my aforesaid copending applications. This camshaft 267 operates, as described in such copending application, tocontrol and actuate certain of the elements of the punching unitincluding the locking plate 154 and the means that restore the pins 145.Thus, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the cam shaft 267 has a single lobecam 268 mounted thereon, and adjacent to such cam 268 a vertical slideplate 269 is mounted. This slide plate 269 has a vertical slot 270formed adjacent the upper end thereof so as to slidably embrace the camshaft 267, and a positioning collar 271 fixed on the cam shaft 267serves to hold the upper end of the slide plate 269 against the adjacentface of the cam 268. Downwardly from the cam shaft 267 and spacedsomewhat upwardly from the rocker 163, the slide plate 269 has a secondslot 273 formed therein which embraces a guide rod 274, such guide rodextending between the side plates and 121 of the punching unit, andthere being two positioning collars 275 fixed on the rod 274 on oppositesides of the slide plate 269 to guide the side plate for verticalreciprocating movement. At its lower end the slide plate 269 has alaterally projecting foot 269F that projects in a forward or lefthanddirection as shown in Fig. 3, and this foot 269F is arranged to overliethe cross rod 165 of the rocker. The slide plate 269 is thus urged in anupward direction along with the rocker 163, and this normally tends tohold a cam roller 277 that is mounted on the slide plate 269 inengagement with the lower edge of the cam 268.

As hereinabove pointed out, the cam 268 is a single lobe cam and it islocated in a rotative sense on the cam shaft 267 in such a position thatthe downward movement of the rocker 163 will occur at substantially thesame time as the operation of Bowden cables 149 as described in thefirst of my aforesaid copending applications. In other words, thedownward actuation of the rocker 163 occurs at the time when the lockingplate 154 is released, and the locking plate 154 is returned to itslocking position prior to the time when the rocker 163 returns to itsupper or retracted position. Thus, in each cycle of operation of the camshaft 267, the counter N is moved downwardly so as to set the pins inaccordance with the setting of the numbering machine or counter N. This,in effect, vconditions the punching unit for the punching of aparticular serial number in the next operation of the punching unit. Asdescribed in the lirst of my aforesaid copending applications, themachines of such application may be operated in what is termedprint-skip and impressions may be made with respect to only certain ofthe printing and control devicesAD that are passed through the machine.The pins 145 will be set up in respect to each printing device that ispassed through the machine, and in the event vthat no bill or check isto be prepared .fromV a particular printing device, the printing meansand the i3 punching means of the machine do not operate and the pins 145that have been set up are restored so that they may be set up inaccordance with numerical data derived from the succeeding printing andcontrol device. When the pins 145 are thus restored, it will be evidentthat the pins that have been set up from and under control of thenumbering machine N will also be restored, and at the time when the nextprinting device is sensed, the serial number that is set on thenumbering machine N will be effective to again start the pins 14S.

It should be pointed out that where the machine operates in skip cycle,the setting of the numbering machine remains the same. In other words,the numbering machine N is advanced one unit only in those cycles wherea bill or check is to be produced, and the means for attaining suchadvancing of the numbering machine are operated by the cam shaft CS-Z asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Thus the cam shaft CS-2 has acam 280 thereon that is arranged, as will hereinafter be described, toimpart rocking movement to an operating lever 2.81 that is pivoted on ahorizontal pivot shaft 282. This shaft 282 is supported in a pair ofbracket arms 283 that are extended rearwardly from the portions of theframe of the punching unit adjacent to the respective side plates 120and 121. The arm 281 extends downwardly from the mounted shaft 282 andhas a downwardly opening slot 284 formed in its lower end. Thisdownwardly open slot is arranged to embrace a roller 285 that issupported on the advancing arm 182 of the numbering machine N. Somewhatabove its lower end, the arm 281 is glided between a pair of collars 286xed on the shaft 274, and between these two collars, the arm 281 has aslot 2818 formed there which is substantially horizontal in position andthrough which the shaft 274 extends. By reason of the provision of theslot 284, it will be evident that the rocker 163 may be moved up anddown as required to effeet the desired actuation of the Bowden cables290, and by rocking movement of the lever or arm 281, the advancing arm182 of the numbering machine may be rocked back and forth as required.This arm 182 may be moved f through a retracting movement in acounter-clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 3 to aretracted position, or may be returned in an advancing or clockwisedirection to impart the desired advancing movement to the numberingmachine N.

The operative connection between the arm 281 and the cam 28) is affordedby means whereby the cam 280 may automatically be rendered ineffectiveto impart advancing movement to the numbering machine N. lnaccomplishing this purpose, a mounting bail 290 is mounted on the shaft282 with the cross bar of the bail 290 disposed above this shaft andwith one arm 290a extending downwardly along the arm 281 and connectedto the arm 281 by a screw 292. A spring 293 connected at its upper endto the rear edge of the cross bar of the bail 290 extends downwardly andis connected to an anchoring pin 294 so as to tend to rock the arm 281in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2.

The cross bar of the bail 296 serves as a mounting for a downwardlyprojecting arm 295 which has a laterally projecting cam roller 296 atits forward end, and as will be more fully described hereinafter, thiscam roller is normally disposed beneath the lower edge of the cam 280.The mounting of the arm 295 on the bail 290 is however accomplished insuch a way that the arm 295 may be swung laterally so as to therebywithdraw the roller 295, from its effective position beneath the cam.Thus, as shown in Fig. l, the arm 295 has an upwardly extending portion298 and a laterally extending portion 299 on the upper end of theportion 298 so that the arm 295 may be pivoted on a vertical axis 300carried on the body of the bail 291'). Spring means are provided whichnormally urge the arm 295 in such a direction as to locate the roller296 below the cam 280 and electrically operated means are affordedwhich, when operated, serve to swing the arm 295 about its pivotal axis300 and to thereby withdraw the roller 296 from its operativerelationship beneath the cam 28?. Such electrically operated means areherein afforded by a solenoid 302 mounted on the arm 295 and having thearmature thereof arranged to be projected toward a stationary surface ofthe frame of the punching unit. The solenoid 302 has its armaturenormally projected by the usual spring means so as to normally tend tomaintain the arm 295 and the roller 296 in their effective or operativerelation to the cam 280. However, when the solenoid 302 is operated, itis effective to swing the arm 295 and the cam roller 296 toward anVineffective relationship. When this occurs, the spring 293 will serve insome instances to return the arm 281 in a clockwise direction, and thefact that the roller 296 is no longer engaged with the cam 280 serves toprevent operation of the arm 281 through an advancing orcounterclockwise movement. Hence, the numbering machine N remains in thesetting that was established in the previous cycle of the machine.

This controlling operation of the solenoid 302 is arranged to take placein the embodiment of Figs. l to 16 by electrical control connectionsincorporated in the machine of the first of my aforesaid copendingapplications in the manner shown in Fig. 17 of the present drawings.Thus Fig. 17 constitutes a simplified portion of Figs. 3l and 31A ofsuch copending application, using the same reference characters in mostinstances and including the emergency relay 1571 described in suchapplication. This relay 1571 is effective when energized, through anyone of various safety circuits, to stop operation of the machine, or inother -instances when the card feed switch 1657 is operated, theemergency relay 1571 is energized so as to disable certain machinefunctions as escribed in such copending application. As shown in Fig.17, a wire 305 extends from the line wire 1511 to one terminal of thesolenoid 302 while a wire 306 extends from the other terminal of thesolenoid 302 to the bus bar 1781. Thus any circuit which will energizethe emergency relay 1571 is effective to operate the solenoid 302, thusto prevent the entry of a false count into the numbering machine N.

ln many uses of machines of the kind shown in my aforesaid copendingapplications, itis desirable to produce checks, bills or the like ingroups or ledger groups which are punched with a common ledger numberset up by means of the manual set-up means described in the rst of suchapplications, and in such instances it is desirable to reset theconsecutive numbering mechanism at the start of each group or ledger. InFigs. 18 to 28 of the drawings an embodiment of the invention isillustrated whereby such reset operation may be attained automaticallyunder control of tabs or like indicating means carried by the lastprinting device in each ledger group.

Thus, as shown in Figs. 19 to 22, the counter N is, in this instance,provided with a special central mounting shaft 1795 that may be rotatedin an advancing direction when the counter N is to be reset, and which,in such advancing or resetting movement, is operable upon the individualnumber wheels to rotate the same to the desired reset relation as willbe described. The shaft 1798 has an elongated, longitudinally extendednotch 179N formed therein so as to be disposed within the tens ordernumber wheel 190 and all of the number wheels of higher orders, and asmall notch 179N-1 arranged to be disposed within the units order numberwheel 190. The notch 179N-1 is disposed so that it is offset one angularspace, or 36 degrees, in a leading direction with respect to the notch179N, as shown in Figs. 20 to 22, so that when reset operation takesplace, the units order wheel 190 will be set to its 1 position, whileall the other wheels 190 will be set to their zero positions. The numberwheels 190 in this instance each have a spring pawl 400 mounted thereinfor engagement with the notches of the shaft 179s. The pawl 400comprises a piston-like

